Before we had actually moved to Taiwan, I saw a picture on Pinterest of The Eternal Spring Shrine, located in the middle of the Tarok National Park. I was mesmerized! When we started working in Taiwan I couldn’t wait to visit this park, I knew it would be the highlight of Taiwan.
The Eternal Spring Shrine to commemorate the workers who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway.
Hualien is a coastal city located on the East side of the Island. It’s a very chilled out city that often gets battered with typhoons so make sure to check the weather before you head out. Hualien offers some black sand beaches with vivid blue waters and an amazing mountain rage with a jaw-dropping cliffs.
So, if you’re also like me and are figuring how to get to Hualien and what to do once you’re there; then keep on reading.
Transportation:
From Taipei: The easiest way is to catch a train on the Tze-Chiang Express at either Taipei Main Station or Nangang Station. The train journey on the express line is about 2.5 hours or 3 if you didn’t manage to catch the express route. Make sure you buy the tickets before you get on (even if you have the Easy Card) or you will be charged an extra 50% of the ticket cost and will also guarantee you a seat.
Cost: $13
From Taichung: If you’re up for it, you could literately drive through the middle of Taiwan to get to Hualien but it’s all mountain! So, that’s a bit too much on terms of motion sickness for your girl right here. Plus, you must have an International drivers license and some money to spend. So, why not take the train? Make your way to the Taichung High Speed Rail and head to the ticket counter. There are only 3 direct trains a day and you will arrive at Hualien four hours later on a scenic train ride. Don’t worry if you don’t make it on one of the direct trains because you can always head to Taipei and then follow above instructions.
Cost: $28 (Direct Taichung to Hualien)
The transportation in Taiwan is incredibly efficient, so this should be the easy part.
Arrival at Hualien:
If you’re keen on renting a scooter, my personal favorite way to get around, there are plenty of rental places all around the Hualien Station. So just have a little walk around which you will definitely have to do if you don’t have that precious international license. Eventually, you will find a place that will rent to foreigners.
If you don’t want to rent a scooter there will be taxi’s waiting outside and the bus stop is nearby or you could just walk. Most hostels are grouped into the same area, so might be the lucky one who can just walk a few minutes to get to their hostel.
There is free wifi outside the station so if you need to look up directions you should easily be able to connect with no problem.
Where to Stay:
I use Booking.com for all hotel bookings and have always liked my experience using the app. Our first hotel was outside the city so it wasn’t very convenient but it was gorgeous and decided to splurge a little bit with an outdoor bath and hammock inside our room. The breakfast was delicious and you definitely knew vacation had started.
The rest of our 2 nights, we stayed close to downtown at a hostel called Journey Hostel. It was very conveniently located and the people that work here are very friendly. There’s a bar, book exchange and even a cute little koi pond inside. There’s plenty of other cool hostels near the train station and beach area. The thing about Taiwan is…they love to give their establishments a theme so usually hostels and restaurants will be well decorated.
Use my link below to book a hotel with Booking.com and receive $15! https://www.booking.com/s/34_6/b605e0fb
Where to Eat:
Dos Tacos: Craving Mexican food? I know I always am. It’s a small little restaurant owned by a very nice American guy. I had a problem with the tacos I ordered but the owner made everything better and even gave us a free shot of tequila. Tacos were fresh and my craving was satisfied…for now.
Across from Dos Tacos, there is a Thai restaurant and also an Ivory Coast cuisine restaurant. Plenty of options in this area.
Salt Lick: Great for BBQ and the portions are huge. Next to Salt Lick is a place called Chicago where you can get a deep dish pizza.
Mr. Goose: Famous Hualien restaurant where you can get goose meant in all different ways and some delicious seafood.
Quick pit stop to throw own our rainproofs while heading to the Qingshui Cliffs.
What To Do Once You’re Here:
Taroko National Park: The obvious reason why you’re heading to Hualien right? Entrance to the park is free and it’s amazing as soon as you drive in, my word of the day was “wowwwwwwww”. If you’re on a scooter you’re in luck because you will feel more connected to nature with all the fresh air and you can stop anywhere you’d like. You’ll likely spend all day exploring and the park opens up at 9:00 A.M. There’s some really cool trails to hike of all different levels but be warned that due to weather and effects of typhoons, some trails may be closed. Camping is also permitted in some areas, so that’s an idea. Inside the park there’s an area with restaurants, 7/11 (of course) and a cool pagoda to check out and take a rest. After reaching this point we started to make our way back.
Qingshui Cliff: This was breathtaking! It’s such dramatic eye candy. The cliffs are at 800 meters above sea level and eventually fall into this beautiful two-toned part of the Pacific Ocean. There’s a famous viewing platform where you can get the best views but again if you’ve got the scooter then you can explore the area and find your favorite spot to stare in awe of all the beauty.
Chishingtan Scenic Area: I think the currents are a little too strong so it’s not recommended to swim here but it’s nice to sit down and look for cool pebbles. It’s a really relaxing area with great views, especially if there is a storm coming in. Would have been great to see the sunrise but…I’m not super into waking up early.
Mukumugi Valley: I personally didn’t get to go here due to the weather and it is about 30 KM out-of-town. It’s sort of Taiwanese locals secret swimming spot. Crystal clear waters to swim in with a beautiful surrounding. Permits are needed but you can easily get those at the police station near the valley.
East Gate Night Market: Night markets are the happening thing to do in Taiwan. Lot’s of cheap eats, fun carnival style games and little souvenirs to buy. Next to the market there’s a small ferris wheel and some interesting 3D art at the old train tracks. This has been my favorite night market in Taiwan, so far.
My favorite tip: Always leave time to do your own exploring without a map and just your gut intuition, you never know what cool things you’ll run into.
If you would rather have full itinerary with your time here in Hualien with little planning, there are countless of private tour companies that will take you anywhere you want.
Hope you enjoy Hualien as much as we did!
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The Gypsy Escapades 